Desolation
by GreenFlameAlchemist86
Summary: Chapter 5 is up! Ed finally tells Winry what happened on his journey and brings them closer than ever before. May have some spoilers. You have been warned! Rating may go up in later chapters. EdxWinry
1. Edward Returns

Desolation

By:

GreenFlameAlchemist86

Author's Notes: This is my first attempt at writing a fan fiction. Please read and review. Any comments or constructive criticism is welcome. Other Notes: In this story, Ed and Winry are both 17 (I have no clue on the age difference between the two).

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Full Metal Alchemist. **I do wish I owned Ed…

Chapter 1: Edward Returns

Edward Elric sat motionless as memories from his past flooded his mind. He remembered the night that he and his brother Alphonse had tried to resurrect their mother. He remembered seeing his brother disappear right before his eyes and the pain that shot through his body as The Gate had taken his left leg and right arm as part of the Equivalent Exchange. Yes. He remembered everything.

During the battle with the Homunculus, he had destroyed part of his metal arm, received some cuts and bruises on his face, as well as the rest of him. He looked at what was left of his metal arm as he thought about the sin he had committed: Human Alchemy. And now, he was sitting alone without his brother and only his memories to keep him company.

Ed was now on his way to his hometown, Resembool, only to find himself afraid of facing Winry and Grandma Pinako.

"Ah, when is Ed-kun coming back?" Winry said to no one in particular.

She let out a sigh as she wiped her forehead with her oil-streaked arm. The blonde-haired girl had been working on some auto-mail parts for Grandma Pinako's customers. She had been waiting for Ed to return for about a year now. She always worried for his safety. Every night she would take a lamp to the window and flash the light like his mother would when he was younger, hoping that he was near somewhere and somehow would see the light and go straight home.

This night was no different.

It was past midnight when Winry decided to call it a night. Grandma Pinako had already gone to bed, leaving Winry to clean up the tools and auto-mail parts. As she picked up the things around her, she couldn't help but wonder where Ed was at the moment.

'Was he okay? Was he alive for that matter?' Winry thought sadly while staring at a particular auto-mail arm.

'Of course he was fine. He'll be back, he always comes back…'

When Winry finished putting everything back in its place, she had gone up to the balcony to flash the lamp one more time. It couldn't hurt to keep trying, right? She flashed the light one last night before letting out a sigh. With a 'click' she turned out the lamp knowing that this night was the same as every other night; she would be going to bed disappointed.

As Ed continued to walk through the rocks on the trail to Winry's house, he caught a glimpse of a flashing light a short distance away.

'That light…could it be…?' He thought as he stopped for a moment to catch his breath. He knew that home was just a few minutes away, he couldn't stop now. He needed to get home, to get his arm fixed…to see Winry again…

"Damn it…I can't stop now…I need to keep going…just a bit further…"

When Ed finally reached the small house, he paused just outside the front door. He couldn't get himself to knock just yet, even though he couldn't wait to get inside. He looked up to where Winry's room should be, noticing that that was the only room with a light on. He let out a sigh, lifted up his left arm and hesitated for a second before rapping lightly on the door with his knuckles.

'Tap Tap Tap.' No response.

'Tap Tap Tap.' Ed knocked just a little harder. Still no response. Just as he was about to turn away, the door creaked open just enough for him to see a pair of those beautiful blue eyes he's been longing to see.

"Winry…" He said her name in a near whisper.

Her eyes opened wide as she realized who it was. She opened the door wider and stood in front of Ed. She couldn't believe it. Ed was back! Tears welled up in her eyes as she realized the state he was in.

"Ed!" She gasped out his name as she flung her arms around him. Although she hurt him with her sudden movement, he didn't care. He closed his eyes to savor the feeling of having her body pulled up against him in her tight embrace.

After what seemed like hours, he finally to whisper her name.

"Winry…can you…"

"Oh! I'm so sorry Ed! I just…oh…" She apologized as she let go abruptly. She wanted to fling her arms around him again but refrained from doing so when she noticed how tired Ed looked.

He looked at Winry for a minute before his vision began to blur. His eyes closed and he collapsed into Winry's arms. Her eyes widened at the sudden weight that fell against her.

"Ah! Ed!" She said in surprise. She looked around. No one was there to help her. She let out a sigh and decided to try to take Ed up to the spare room. She wrapped his left arm around her shoulder, holding it with her left arm while she held him from his waist with her right arm. She dragged him up the stairs. After a long moment of struggling, she managed to get him into the spare room. She lied him down carefully on the nearest bed, trying hard not to wake him. She didn't want to hurt him more than he already was. She pulled off his red coat slowly, along with his black, long-sleeved shirt, belt, and boots.

"Ed, you idiot…" She whispered as she lied down next to him, her head leaning on her elbow for support. She carefully pulled out the tie that held his braid and ran her fingers through his soft, blonde hair and softly ran her hand over his cheek. Although he looked terrible with the cuts and bruises, she couldn't help but smile. She couldn't believe it. After all that time of waiting, he was finally back.

Her Edward had finally returned.

That's my first chapter of this story. I know it's a bit short, but hey, things need to go slow! The romance can't just happen right away, now can it? Even though, I hope you liked it. The second chapter will be called Ed's Nightmares. I hope I can get that chapter finished soon so that I can post it. Please don't forget to review! Thanks a bunch. –GFA86.


	2. Edward's Nightmares

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Full Metal Alchemist. **Though I do wish I owned Edward.

**Priestess Kurumi Inu's Sister: **Your question shall be answered in this chapter!

Thanks to all of you who reviewed. You guys made me feel special; I'm glad those who reviewed liked my first chapter.

It's kind of hard to write when you got research papers to type for English class! But I've been able to squeeze in some time for this. So, here it is my second chapter.

Chapter 2: Edward's Nightmares

It was one-thirty in the morning when Winry began to feel exhausted. She had stayed next to Ed from the moment she laid him down. She didn't dare leave him alone in the state he was in. She just couldn't

The moment she saw him at the door covered in cuts and bruises and his right arm partly demolished, a spark of a greater worry erupted within her. Granted she was worried about him all of the time, but this time she felt a worry stronger than she had felt before.

He had come back alone, and that's what scared her. What had happened to Al? Did they get separated along their journey in search of the Philosopher's Stone, or was it something else?

Putting all thoughts aside, she turned around to look at Ed. She leaned her head on her right hand for support, her elbow leaning on a pillow. She stared at Ed's face, memorizing every curve, from the color of his lashes, to the way his eyebrows curved up a little, to the outer edge of his lips, the smoothness and complexion of his skin, and even the faint freckles barely visible on his nose and cheeks. She couldn't help but notice how handsome he really was. She didn't remember him ever looking so, well, cute.

She lifted her hand and let it hover over his left cheek. She dared herself to touch his face lightly. She wanted to know if his skin was as soft as it appeared to be. She slowly lowered her hand, reaching out to gingerly touch his cheek. She gradually ran her index finger down to trace the outer edge of his jaw-line and reached back up to where she had started. She continued tracing the outer curve and slowly made her way to his lips. She hesitated, looked to see if he had wakened. When she saw that he was still sleeping, she continued the exploration of his face. With the same index finger, she lightly traced his full, bottom lip, starting out from the left, outer corner, slowly caressing the line to the other side. She then went upward, tracing the curve of his heart-shaped upper lip.

'He has beautiful lips…' She thought. She was amazed at the fact of how soft they were. She blushed as a vision of them kissing surfaced in her mind.

She moved her hand away from his face when she felt him stir. She looked at his face and saw him furrow his brows as if in deep concentration. She hadn't realized that she had held her breath for that split second. She let out a sigh when he seemed to relax again.

Winry closed her eyes; she was starting to feel the exhaustion again that had left her when she had begun her exploration of Ed's face. She opened her eyes, sat up and fluffed her pillow. She lied down, her body facing Ed. She stared at him for a moment, just listening to his soft breathing. Her eyes began to feel heavy; surely the Sandman had paid her a visit. She started to fall asleep when she began to feel the bed move. Through half-closed eyes, she saw Ed stirring in his sleep. She continued to watch him stir, this time he was gripping the sheets hard with his hands.

Winry sat up. She could have sworn she heard him say something, but she couldn't make out what he was saying. He was mumbling again and again, stirring around between the sheets. She held her breath, straining to hear what he was saying. After a moment of listening, she opened her eyes wide when she realized what he said.

"Mom…I'm sorry…"

(Okay, so nobody gets confused, I'm going to describe what's going on to Ed at the moment. He's having a nightmare, hence the title "Edward's Nightmares" and will be describing the dream here.)

Ed was standing in a room, surrounded by nothing but darkness. He was alone, confused, and didn't know where he was. The darkness prevented him from seeing any recognizable forms. He heard a voice from within the chamber; a soft voice that sound so familiar. The voice was calling out his name, slowly and softly.

"Edward…Edward…."

He looked around the room frantically, trying to find any source of the voice. It was a woman's voice, he was sure. He took a step back, feeling the prickles of fear creep up his spine. He couldn't think of anyone whose voice it could belong to, but somehow he felt it was someone he knew.

Suddenly, a bright, white light flashed upon him from somewhere above. He looked up, only to be blinded by the source of light. He held up his right arm to shield his eyes from the whiteness that showered him. As he lifted up his arm to shield his eyes, he had not caught a glimpse of metal. Wouldn't it have reflected the light from above? He did a double take and stared at his right arm.

It was a flesh arm. The one he had lost so many years ago…

The voice called out his name again, snapping him out of his reverie. The light had shut off, leaving him in darkness again. This time, a figure was walking towards him from a dark corner in the distance. He tried to take a step back, but fear had cemented his legs to the ground; he couldn't get himself to move.

Once again, the light appeared above him, but this time it was not as bright. It was just enough light to allow him to see the figure standing before him.

"…M-mom…"

It was no mistake. He recognized the long, light-brown hair, her green eyes, and light complexion.

"Edward…what have you done? Look at what you've done." She said to him in a calm voice.

All of a sudden, Ed felt a white-hot, searing pain on his left leg. He looked at his leg, only to see that a metal limb had replaced it.

"Mom…I…" He was at a loss for words.

"And look at what you've done to your brother! To Al!" She raised her voice a bit, sounding a little harsh.

"Mom! I didn't mean to! It wasn't meant to turn out that way!"

"I'm so disappointed in you…Why would you do such a thing to him? He didn't deserve that!"

"Mom…I…I'm sorry!"

Ed closed his eyes; his eyes burned with hot unshed tears. He fell to his knees. His mother's voice echoed in his mind.

' …Look at what you've done to you brother!'

Ed cried out, slamming his fist onto the stone floor. After a moment of silence, he looked up. The figure of his mother slowly faded away, only to be replaced by the image of a young boy. A boy that was awfully familiar…

The blonde boy stared at him with golden eyes-Ed's golden eyes.

The young boy stared at him with pure hate. He glared at him with such hatred that if looks could kill; Ed would have been dead. The vision of Ed's younger self dissipated and was replaced by yet another boy. A boy with light brown hair and grayish eyes.

"Ed…what did you do to me? Why did I have to turn into this!"

The boy then turned into a large suit of armor.

It was Al.

Ed shut his eyes; he couldn't stand to look at his brother. It hurt just looking at him.

Another white-hot pain seared again. This time, it was in his right arm. He looked at his arm, watching it disappear. Just like his left leg, it was replaced by a metal limb.

Ed looked up again, but the suit of armor was gone. The emptiness was replaced by an image of a younger Edward and Al, kneeling around a transmutation circle. In the middle was the pile of ingredients they had used to resurrect their mother. The circle glowed an eerie blue color, followed by a vivid purple.

Ed was shocked. He couldn't move. As much as he wanted to turn away, he couldn't. Just watching a memory of his past made him feel horrible; he wanted to die.

He was entranced by the vision before him. The younger Ed and Al were smiling, thinking they had succeeded at Human Alchemy.

Ed blanched. Suddenly he was watching himself screaming in pain as his left leg was disappearing before his eyes. He then felt the tears slowly sliding down his cheeks. Then the worst came-

The young Al blanched, watching his hand dissipate. Then, his whole body followed suit. Young Ed looked at Al with fear. He was watching his brother disappear and he couldn't move. Al was almost completely gone. Al screamed. A scream that forever haunted Ed…

"Ed! ED!"

"Al!" Young Ed reached out for his brother. There was no use…Al was gone.

"Noooooooooooooooooooo!"

The Ed that was watching the memory screamed in unison with the Young Ed. With his right arm, he reached out towards him. The memory itself was enough to drive Ed mad. So many times had he tried to forget his past. And now, he was reliving it.

Ed clutched at his chest with his right hand. He was still kneeling, his left hand supporting him. The same hot tears fell from his eyes. He yelled out in pain.

Emotional pain.

He wept and wept. He kept repeating the name over and over-

"Al…Al…I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…"

Suddenly, he was surrounded by complete darkness, only a voice echoing in the dark.

"It's all your fault…all your fault…"

Winry was stunned.

She grabbed a hold of Ed's left arm. She shook him slightly, trying to wake him from his nightmare. He continued to thrash about in his sleep. He cried out again.

"Al! Al…I'm sorry…"

She shook him harder, trying desperately to wake him.

"Ed! Ed, wake up! Please, wake up!"

Ed suddenly opened his eyes and sat up. He stared out in front of him, panting hard.

"Ed…Ed, are you alright?" Winry asked with concern. He turned to face Winry, staring at her as if he didn't recognize her. His eyes were wide open. She stared back at him, her eyes filled with tears, waiting for him to respond.

"Ed? Ed, are you alright?" She repeated.

"Winry…Al! Al is gone! It's all my fault." Winry stared at him. For a second she caught a glimpse of the young Ed she had known years ago. The young Ed that Al had brought in, bleeding and wounded.

"It's all my fault…All my fault…." He whispered, lowering his eyes.

The tears that Winry held back suddenly slid down her cheeks. She moved herself closer to Ed, wrapping her arms around him. She held him tightly, crying freely now. He laid his head on her shoulder and cried.

A/N: Well, people, this is my second chapter of my story. It turned out longer than the first! Yay! I'm so glad that those who reviewed liked it. Hopefully you'll feel the same of this one. I tried really hard to make it full of emotion.

I still don't know what my next chapter will be called, but I do have an idea of what will take place. Anyway, please review. It really helps. Feel free to write what parts you liked best and perhaps that'll help me for my future chapters.

Thanks a bunch!

GFA86


	3. Edward's Silence

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the characters from Full Metal Alchemist. Though I do wish I owned Edward

A/N: Thanks so much to all of those who reviewed. I'm truly glad that you guys like my story so far and I will try my best to keep up to your standards.

Another note, truly sorry for not updating as soon as possible. I have been busy with school, writing a research paper and the like. School can be a drag sometimes! . Anyway, hope you enjoy this addition to my story.

OoOoO

Last time in Edward's Nightmare:

_Winry was stunned. _

_She grabbed a hold of Ed's left arm. She shook him slightly, trying to wake him from his nightmare. He continued to thrash about in his sleep. He cried out again._

"_Al! Al…I'm sorry…"_

_She shook him harder, trying desperately to wake him._

"_Ed! Ed, wake up! Please, wake up!" She started to cry._

_Ed suddenly opened his eyes and sat up. He stared out in front of him, panting hard. _

"_Ed…Ed, are you alright?" Winry asked with concern. He turned to face Winry, staring at her as if he didn't recognize her. His eyes were wide open. She stared back at him, her eyes filled with tears, waiting for him to respond._

"_Ed? Ed, are you alright?" She repeated. _

"_Winry…Al! Al is gone! It's all my fault." Winry stared at him. For a second she caught a glimpse of the young Ed she had known years ago. The young Ed that Al had brought in, bleeding and wounded._

"_It's all my fault…All my fault…." He whispered, lowering his eyes. _

The tears that Winry held back suddenly slid down her cheeks. She moved herself closer to Ed, wrapping her arms around him. She held him tightly, crying freely now. He laid his head on her shoulder and cried.

OoOoO

Chapter 3: Edward's Silence

Light filtered through the window, casting itself onto Winry and Ed's face. Small dust particles could be seen through the light beams of sunlight. Winry felt the warmth of the sun on her face, as well as the warmth of Ed's body next to hers. She opened her eyes slowly, adjusting her sight to the morning's brightness.

She stayed still for moment, enjoying the feeling of Ed's chest rising and falling of his soft breathing. She blushed as she realized her hand was on his chest, her head nestled on his left shoulder, his arm wrapped around her shoulder. Her lips curved into a sad smile as she recalled the earlier events.

Winry had always know that she was the only one Ed can show his weak side to, but to cry like he did last night was unbearable. It hurt her to see him in that state; in a state she didn't know how to help. She felt helpless since she didn't know how Ed got to her in such a horrible mess, and without Al.

When she heard him screaming out in his sleep, she could almost feel his pain.

Almost.

She couldn't think of a time when she felt such pain as he did, except for perhaps when she lost her parents to the State Alchemists during the Ishbal War. But when her parents died, she had not seen them get killed, not like Ed had seen Al disappear through The Gate, not like Ed had felt when he lost his right arm and left leg.

No. She couldn't compare the feeling.

OoOoO

A few minutes after Winry had awakened, Ed began to stir. The soft beams of light had also waken him.

He slowly began to get up, making Winry sit up along with him.

"Ow…. What a headache…" Ed sighed, lifting his left arm to rub his temple. Winry sat up straight, stretching her arms out and yawning.

"Ah, Winry, you know yawning…is…contagious…" Ed said with a yawn. Winry smiled.

"Get up sleepy-head! I need to get to your right arm as soon as possible. I can't let you move around with an immobile auto-mail."

Ed stiffened.

He had just realized where he was and the events of hours earlier. He lowered his eyes, slowly turning to look at his right arm. Winry noticed how he had suddenly withdrawn into a stony silence.

Winry looked away, getting off of the bed slowly. She walked to the door, looking over her shoulder to watch Ed. He sat there, quietly, not moving from his sitting position.

She quietly stepped out the door, heading to the nearest bathroom. She looked at her hair; a disheveled mess of hair sticking out at odd places, some of it clinging to her cheeks where the tears had slid that night.

She let out a sigh.

"It's going to be a long day…"

OoOoO

Granny Pinako stood in the kitchen, taking out the ingredients she would be using for the morning's meal. She slowly began to prepare the food for Winry and herself. She didn't hear Winry come down the steps.

"You're going to need more food than that," She said in a somewhat defeated tone.

"And why is that, my dear?" She responded. Winry sat down at the kitchen table; her chin propped on her right hand.

"That's why." She said to Granny Pinako, her index finger pointing towards the stairs, her eyes not turning to look.

Ed had come down the stairs with a look of sleep still etched in his face. His eyes half-closed in a tired fashion, with his bangs sticking up and some strands loose from his braid.

"Ah…" Granny Pinako said with realization.

"When did he get here?" She asked Winry, watching Ed walk to the table, silently pulling out a chair opposite Winry.

"Shortly after you went to bed. It was well past midnight when I heard him knock on the door…" Winry's attention drifted off towards Ed, who sat there with the same sleepy look.

"Hmm…looks like we need to work on some auto-mail after breakfast."

"Mmm" Winry said in reply, not really paying attention. She was intently gazing at Ed.

Granny Pinako made three plates of scrambled eggs, steamed rice, buttered toast, and some sausage. She put Ed's plate down in front of him, then Winry's, and then her own. Ed's eyes widened and his senses began to function again. His mouthed watered and the sleepiness that was etched into his face only seconds before disappeared as the scent wafted into his nose.

"Ah! Food! So…hungry!" Ed said while reaching with his left arm to grab the fork that was placed beside his plate, his right arm dangling uselessly beside him. He hungrily stuffed his face with the delicious food Granny Pinako had made. Winry caught a glimpse of the younger, carefree Ed. She smiled, but the smile didn't quite reach her eyes. Granny Pinako ate in silence, shifting her gaze intently from Winry to Ed. Surly something happened last night that she wasn't aware of?

OoOoO

"Winry, pass me that wrench." Granny Pinako said to Winry, both wearing work gloves, overalls, and bandannas over their hair. Edward lay on the operation table, waiting for them to connect his auto-mail arm to his body. He lay there with his eyes fixed on the ceiling. His face was calm, his brows furrowed as if in concentration. Winry would periodically glance over to look at him. He hadn't moved. She frowned at the sight of him. She hated seeing him so calm, thinking and staring into space. The only times he did that was when something was reeling in his mind, leaving him separated from the rest of the world.

"Finished." Pinako announced.

"Ready, Winry? Edward?" She asked them both.

They both nodded.

Winry was on the Ed's right side, carefully attaching the auto-mail arm to Ed's shoulder. Pinako was in front of Ed, putting the rest of the pieces in place.

"On the count of three, we will connect." Pinako warned Winry and Ed.

Winry and Ed nodded in unison.

"One…Two…THREE!"

Ed shut his eyes from the sudden jolt of pain he felt every time Winry and Pinako would connect his metal limbs. Like the other times, Edward didn't scream. He was a strong boy, really. Even a grown man would have screamed out in pain.

After Pinako and Winry attached Ed's arm in place, they helped him move to a nearby couch to rest on. Every time they finished, he always felt sore afterwards. He lay motionless on the couch, staring at the ceiling again. Winry was helping Pinako put away the operating tools across the room, occasionally turning to look at Ed. She was worried for him again. This time, it was because of his silence. He hadn't muttered a word since that morning, complaining about a headache he awoke with.

When Winry finished putting away the tools, she slowly made her way to Edward. He was still lying on the couch, staring at the ceiling with a far off look. She didn't want to disturb him, so she slowly and quietly made her way to his left leg. She checked it for any damages that he might have received. After a few minutes of checking, every thing seemed to be in perfect condition, meaning she wouldn't have to build another auto-mail leg for him. She glanced up to check on Edward. He still hadn't moved.

She walked up to where his head lay, kneeling down to speak to him.

"Edward? Are you all right? Do you need anything? If you do, just let me know, okay?"

He slowly turned his head to face Winry but did not respond. He stared at her for a minute before turning back to stare at the ceiling.

His silence worried her, but she didn't press on anymore. She got up from the floor and headed upstairs to the bathroom.

OoOoO

Once she was in the bathroom, closing the door behind her, Winry pulled out fresh towels from the cupboard, along with her favorite soaps and shampoo. She pulled off the bandanna that held her hair back, along with the overalls and black shirt she wore every time she worked on auto-mail.

She opened the curtain and turned the faucet to the tub, letting the water run until it got warm. She pushed down the rubber stopper that prevented the water from seeping into the drain. She grabbed the small bottle of vanilla scented bath bubbles and poured some in. She turned the faucet again; making the water stop running, pulled off her undergarments and slowly stepped in her newly made bath. She sank down into the water, wetting her long blonde hair. She surfaced and let out a sigh. She rested her head back on the tub, enjoying the warmth of the water that enveloped her slender body.

While in her bath, she couldn't help but think about Edward. Something had changed within him, but she couldn't quite find out what it was. She noticed that the fire he once had had disappeared from his bright, golden eyes. He wasn't the same anymore.

While thinking of Edward, she closed her eyes, a vision of him smiling at her popped into her mind. She smiled. She noticed a warm tickle of butterflies flitter in her stomach. What was this feeling she got every time she thought of him? The warmth of the water had enveloped her in a warm, calm sensation, making her drift off, her mind still on a certain blonde-haired boy with eyes the color of the setting sun.

OoOoO

Some twenty minutes later, Winry emerged from the bathroom, covered in her light pink bathrobe, feeling rejuvenated and calm. She pulled the towel from her hair to dry the wet strands a bit before grabbing a comb to de-tangle it. She stepped into her room, making her way to her closet. She reached out to grab a black miniskirt, a pink shirt, and a pink hooded sweater to match. She laid her clothes on her bed, leaving it out for her to change into. She looked at her vanity mirror, staring at her reflection with questioning sapphire eyes. She dried her hair, carefully combing it up into high ponytail, leaving some strands of golden-blonde hair loose to frame her face. She changed into her clothes and put on some black Mary Janes.

Once she finished getting dressed, she made her way downstairs. When she reached the last step, she glanced up to see Edward making his way towards her. She stopped in her tracks, holding her breath as she watched him get closer. He stopped in front of her, intently looking at her blue eyes with his warm, golden ones. Neither of them made a move. What seemed like five minutes of staring into each other's eyes, Edward lifted his right hand up to her cheek. The soft touch of the cool metal that contrasted her warmth made her gasp lightly. She closed her eyes, feeling him caress her cheek with his thumb. Just as soon as she had felt the light touch, it had gone. She opened her eyes to find him start his way up the stairs. She turned to look at his retreating back.

'Yes…' She thought, 'something has definitely changed in him…'

OoOoO

A/N: Again, thank you so much to those who reviewed. It made me smile to read all of those wonderful reviews. Anyway, I finally finished my third chapter to my slowly starting out fan fiction. It has been difficult to write this chapter in the past few days due to Writer's Block. How I hate it! It frustrated me to no end. But then, an idea had suddenly popped into my mind, relieving me of the block. Hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please Review.

Another note, the next chapter will be called Edward Breaks the Silence. Hope I don't have another case of Writer's Block . That would be really horrible!

Anyway, hope you enjoy!

GFA86


	4. LateNight Wandering and Conversations

A/N: First: I am so sorry I took so long to update! So many things were going on this month that took my time and away from writing and I've taken the time to sit down to watch FMA all over again to get a better understanding of the characters and the story. The good thing is that it gave me time to think of what I'd write in the next chapters, even in my sleep I've been dreaming of what I'd write!

Second: I know that in my last chapter I said the 4th chapter would be called Edward Breaks the Silence, but I've been doing a lot of thinking and decided to change it.

Third: Thanks to all of those who reviewed; you all make my day! Don't forget to review after reading! Thanks a bunch.

OoOoO

Chapter 4: Late-Night Wandering and Conversations

It had been a week since Ed's arrival in Resembool. Throughout the whole week he avoided Winry knowing that she would ask questions and would want answers. Truth be told, he wasn't really ready to say anything just yet. If he did, he would only cause her to be worried more than she already was. And that was the last thing he wanted for her.

The only times he spoke to her were when he would let her know that he would be out for a while, or when she would ask if he was hungry, he would respond with a simple "hmmm" or "yeah."

He really didn't like to keep things from her, but what could he do? Sometimes when they were alone, he would say her name to get her attention and would think how he would start the conversation, but then he would stop himself and told her not to mind. She would always sit there and be willing to listen, and when he didn't say anything, she would understand and not press any further.

But deep inside, she really wanted to know what was going on.

OoOoO

On one particular night, Winry found herself awake at two o'clock in the morning. She had fallen asleep around midnight after a long day of working on auto-mail with Auntie Pinkao. She tossed and turned but couldn't get comfortable in bed. Sleep didn't come to her easily, which was strange since she always slept through the whole night.

Winry sat up slowly in her bed, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. She got up and walked to her window, which had the curtains drawn. She opened them and her room was flooded with soft beams of light of the full moon. She opened her window, a soft breeze blowing on her face and hair, and looked up at the deep sapphire sky dotted with bright stars that shone like diamonds. She let out a sigh, closed her window and walked towards her door.

On her way down the stairs, she noticed a soft light that seemed to come from the kitchen.

'_Funny…Who'd be up at this hour?_' I She thought, as she slowly walked towards the kitchen entrance, trying to keep quiet and being alert, in case some stranger was residing in her kitchen.

She peeked around the entrance and saw the form of a small person walking towards the table. The lighting was soft so she couldn't really make out who it was. Instinctively, she reached into the pocket of her shorts with her right hand and pulled out her trusty silver wrench and clutched it tightly.

With the wrenched secured tightly in her palm, she held her breath and summed up her courage. She slowly walked into the kitchen, closed her eyes, and with all of her strength she threw the wrench at the unsuspecting person.

"DAMMIT, WINRY, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"

She gasped when she heard the person yell. That voice…oh, she could recognize that voice from a mile away!

"Ed? Why…What are you doing down here at this hour?"

"I could ask the same of you! And must you throw that stupid wrench at me! That hurt…" Ed said with hurt in his voice while rubbing the throbbing knot that formed on his head.

Winry fumed… _her wrench, stupid? How dare he say her wrench was stupid! _

"My wrenches are not stupid, you alchemy freak that lacks height." Ed glared at her.

"Machine freak…" He whispered back.

Winry let out a sigh. She slowly made her way to Ed and bent over slightly to face him. He turned around to face her and blushed crimson as he realized how close they were. He gulped as he saw her get closer.

"Edo…"

"Y-Yes?"

SMACK!

She had lifted her hand and slapped him upside the head.

"OW! WINRY! WHAT WAS THAT FOR!" He yelled at her clutching the side of his head with both hands.

"For being your cocky, short-tempered, alchemy freak self." She said moving away from him, making her way to the refrigerator. She opened the door and peeked inside, reaching in for a jug of milk. She placed the milk on the counter, walked to the cabinets beneath the sink and pulled out a small pot, all the while Ed was fuming in the background glaring at the back of her head.

She poured some milk into the pot, turned on the stove and placed the small pot onto the little blue flames. She reached into a cabinet above her and pulled out a bundle of cocoa. She placed it near the pot to be used when the milk was done heating through.

She sat down across from Ed and placed her elbows on the table, resting her chin on the palms of her hands. The whole time, Ed was watching her every move with a questioning look in his golden eyes.

Winry stared at Ed with a soft expression, hiding any evidence of the way she felt minutes ago. Ed stared back at her with the same questioning in his eyes. She was acting a bit off. He wondered what changed her sudden mood swing.

"So…what are you doing up at this hour?" He asked with a bit of an accusing tone.

She sighed before responding.

"I asked you first. Care to tell me what you were doing sneaking around in the semi-dark at around two-thirty in the morning?"

Ed sighed, glancing a bit sideways, a slight blush forming on his cheeks.

"I couldn't really sleep…and you?"

"Eh, I couldn't sleep either…" She responded half-heartedly. There was something else on her mind, but didn't really feel like elaborating to him at the moment.

She got up from her seat and walked to the stove to check on her milk, sticking her index finger in the white liquid to check the temperature. When she felt it was warm enough, she turned the stove of. She reached into another cupboard and pulled out two mugs. Ed noticed she took out two. _Doesn't she remember that I hate milk? _He thought while watching her every move.

Winry poured some warm milk into a mug, opened the bundle of cocoa and with a spoon she put some into her mug. She stirred the milk until the cocoa powder was absorbed. She turned around and looked at Ed.

"Do you…" She started out softly, quickly gaining some volume into her voice.

"Do you want some Edo?"

"Winry, you know I hate milk…"

"But it doesn't taste like milk when it's mixed with cocoa…"

"But I…" Winry didn't wait for an answer and placed the cocoa in front of Ed, the mug steaming slightly from the warm liquid.

He stared at the cup cautiously, as if the milk would explode on his face and burn him.

He slowly picked up the mug and blew softly at the steam. He cautiously raised it to his lips and took a sip. To his surprise, it didn't taste like milk, but instead like chocolate. He lowered the cup and placed it back on the table.

He looked up to see Winry staring at him again, but she seemed a bit in a daze. He stared at her intently. He could have sworn he saw her cheeks tinted with a light rose color. _Was she blushing? _He closed his eyes and cleared his throat.

Winry snapped out of her reverie and blushed deeper as she realized she had been staring at him the whole time. She looked down at her feet, embarrassed.

"I'm…I'm going for a walk outside…do…do you…" She started to ask, but it seemed Ed had accepted her invitation before she even finished asking. He stood up from the chair and looked at her. She looked up at the sound of the chair creaking from his weight being lifted off of it. She walked towards the door, Ed closely behind her.

OoOoO

Winry walked on towards the small hill where she used to look down at her house, with Ed walking slightly behind her, his hands in the pockets of his pants and eyes focused on the ground. The whole way to the large tree on the hill, neither of them spoke, both thinking of what they'd say, or how they'd say it. Winry walked with her hands clasped behind her, her head bowed down slightly.

When Winry and Ed made it to their destination, Winry plopped down on a spot of springy grass at the base of the tree trunk, Ed plopping down somewhere in front of her, facing side sideways.

"It's nice out tonight, isn't it?" Ed whispered, looking up at the dark, navy blue sky dotted with brilliant stars. The glow of the full moon shone brilliantly, illuminating their faces and everything around them, making seem angelic and surreal.

"Hmm…" She responded, not even noticing what Ed was talking about.

Ed noticed her dispirited answer and turned to face her. He looked at her face and saw that she was looking at her hands clasped around her knees, which were tucked under her chin.

"Winry…is something wrong?" He asked with concern in his voice.

Winry took a moment, thinking whether or not to bring up the subject, or any questions she had at all. _Where was Al? What happened while you were gone? Did hehave any idea of howshe felt?_

She let out a sigh. _Well, here goes nothing_

"Ed…what-what happened to you, that night you showed up. Where's Al? Why isn't he with you? What were you dreaming about that night you cried out?"

All of the questions that were reeling in Winry's mind seemed to flood out of her mouth before she can stop herself. She held her breath, looking at Ed with full attention, waiting to see what he would do. To her surprise, he closed his eyes, turned away and sighed.

At hearing him sigh, she knew he couldn't stay quiet. She let a sigh of relief and stared at Ed with rapt attention, waiting for him to start his incredible story.

OoOoO

A/N: FWAH! Finally finished this chapter. Thanks to those who have been patient with me. It took me a while to write this since I was watching Full Metal Alchemist all over again. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this addition to my story. Please Review!

Thanks a bunch.

GFA86


	5. Kisses and Mixed Emotions

A/N: Firstly, thanks again to all of those who reviewed. It really makes me feel good about my writing. Right now I'm currently on my way to Mexico, which I will spend about 2 weeks in for a short vacation away from home in California.

Secondly, I'm really sorry for taking so long in updating the story. A lot of things have come up over the past few months which took up my time to sit down and continue writing. But not to worry! I hope this chapter makes up for the wait.

Thirdly, this chapter may contain some spoilers for some episodes towards the end of Full Metal Alchemist. You have been warned.

**Important note: **At the moment, I'm currently wondering if I need a Beta reader. If anyone feels it's necessary, please let me know in a review or e-mail to sakura187 at msn dot com letting me know if you think I need one, or if you'd like to be my Beta reader. If anyone decides to be my little helper, I'd be glad to think it over. Thanks a bunch.

OoOoO

**Last time:**

_All of the questions that were reeling in Winry's mind seemed to flood out of her mouth before she can stop herself. She held her breath, looking at Ed with full attention, waiting to see what he would do. To her surprise, he closed his eyes, turned away and sighed. _

_At hearing him sigh, she knew he couldn't stay quiet. She let a sigh of relief and stared at Ed with rapt attention, waiting for him to start his incredible story._

OoOoO

Chapter 5: Kisses and Mixed Emotions

It was about an hour later when Ed had finished telling his story to Winry. The whole time she had stared at him with mixed emotions etched into her pretty face. She was a good audience; she gasped at all the right moments and knew when to stay quiet or when to say comforting words.

During his little moment of story telling, Ed would glance over his shoulder to look at Winry during the critical moments to see her reaction. In all honesty, he didn't know whether she would understand what truly happened while he was away, but to him it felt as if a weight had lifted off of his shoulders and he felt better.

He never knew that Winry would be interested in his and Al's journey in search of the Philosopher's Stone, but when he saw the way she would look at him with her full attention, her eyes slightly wide, her arms wrapped around her knees, he was glad that he was telling her now. He felt bad he had never confided in her before. He and Al had always left her out of everything, and now he looked back at that with regret. He knew that he would no longer leave her out, only if he felt necessary.

On the way back to Winry's house, he would casually glimpse her way, quickly turning away when he noticed she was looking at him. Something had been different when he was telling her his story. He had never seen her so serious before, and it made him recognize that she had matured of the time of his absence. He liked this side of Winry, he thought. He turned to look at her again, and he noticed that she had turned to look at him at the same time. She gave him a small smile, making him blush and turn away quickly. He felt embarrassed for being caught at looking at her.

Now that he thought about it, when did her smiles make him blush? That was certainly something new. To be exact, he never noticed how pretty she was. The color of her eyes was unique; somewhere between sapphire and cerulean, with a hint of a gold sparks here and there, and he had realized that he much liked that color. He also liked the way her hair had captured the glow of the full moon, making her hair look like it was emanating light, making her look some what ethereal. Her skin had also picked up the rays of moonlight, making it look flawless and smooth, like a porcelain doll. He had turned away when he realized that he sometimes had stared a second too long for his liking, making him feel a twitch in his stomach that he knew had nothing to do with the telling of his journey.

Sometime during their walk to her house, Winry had noticed that Ed was occasionally looking her way, with a distant look in his sunset colored eyes; the eyes she had always been fond of. She would smile back and he would turn away quickly, making her think that he was trying to avoid her gaze. That was the last thing she wanted, to have him hate her for making him tell her what happened. But why would he? He himself went on without her pushing him on to tell her. She had given him plenty of time to say no. With that thought quickly placed into the back of her mind, she continued her walk to her home.

OoOoO

Ten minutes later, Winry and Ed arrived at the little house situated along a little dirt path. The moon was high up in the sky, still brightly illuminating the path and everything around it. Winry opened the door and stepped in, moving aside to allow Ed to get through as well. Once he entered, stopped a little ways in front of Winry, putting his hands inside his pockets, he glanced back at her as if waiting for her to make her way to her up.

With the click of the door, she shut it and putting the lock in its place. She noticed Ed looking her and smiled at him. He had been looking at her again, she noticed, and this time he turned away slowly instead of quickly as he had before. She noticed a slight pinkish color grazing his cheeks, put pulled it off as the faint glow of the kitchen light.

He made his way up the stairs, Winry close behind him. He stopped in front of the door to his room, reaching up to grab a hold of the doorknob but didn't open it. Winry stepped up to the door to her room at the same time, opening it a little before turning to Ed, noticing he hadn't opened his door yet, but looking at her as if he wanted to say something but couldn't get the right words out. She gave him a puzzled look before giving him a shy smile.

"Winry…?" He asked with a hint of question.

"Hm?"

"Erm…nothing…Good night," he replied

"Good night."

Winry seemed a little confused at his actions. He seemed to be struggling with something and she didn't have the faintest idea what it could have been. She shrugged it off and continued her way into her room. She closed the door behind her, clicking the lock into place, before making her way to the window, which still had the curtains open from before she went on her walk with Ed.

Ah, Ed. He was more on her mind now after that story he had told her. How many things he had gone through without her knowing a thing? She processed the new information in head, thinking what could have made Ed finally confide in her.

'…_Al and I finally discovered the truth behind the Philosopher's Stone…which isn't something I really like, to be honest.' He said, with a bit of dislike._

'_The whole time our journey was planned out by those man-made humans, Homunculus…' He paused for a second, regarding Winry, '…you do know what that is, don't you?' He asked, knowing that perhaps she didn't, seeing that she hadn't been there during his journey._

_She shook her head, confirming that indeed she didn't know._

'_Well, you know that Human Alchemy is forbidden…Alchemists that have attempted Human Alchemy and failed create a thing, much like a human, but with powers. For example, Al and I came across one that could extend her nails and pierce through anything. Another one could eat anything, metal or flesh.' He paused, looking at Winry as if silently asking if he could continue. _

_She nodded for him to continue, her eyes wide with interest and her arms wrapped around her knees. _

'_As you know, Al and I went in search for the Philosopher's Stone, hoping that we could regain everything we had lost that night.' At this, he glimpsed up at the sky with a far off look, as if remembering that very night._

_He closed his eyes and sighed, continuing a short moment after._

'_When Al and I found out that humans were the final component at this to make the Philosopher's Stone,' at this, Winry gasped lightly, '- we went in search for a different way. We tried to find different methods of creating the stone without using actual humans. We searched and reread Doctor Marcoh's research and found that we hadn't made a mistake._

'_On our journey, we ran into those Homunculi several times, as well as Scar. He was connected to some deaths of State Alchemists, as well as Nina's. He uses Alchemy to kill from inside out, making the victim implode.'_

_Winry cringed. 'How could anyone be so cruel?' She thought._

'_Turned out he wanted to make the Philosopher's Stone too. Winry, a lot of things happened that not even I understand…but somehow during my separation with Al, he had been made into a bomb by some ex-State Alchemist…and somehow Scar found him and did something to him…he somehow turned Al in-into…' He swallowed, pausing and taking a breath. _

_Winry stared at him a bit puzzled and wanted for him to continue. He glimpsed at her and she nodded, encouraging him to continue._

'_Scar turned Al into the Philosopher's Stone…and for some reason, when he touches me, s-something happens and I don't understand what it is…I think it just might be a reaction because I'm an alchemist…but I really don't know._

'_Well, when that happened, I tried my best to keep Al from getting to close. And somewhere along the way here, those damn bastard Homunculus tracked us down. Al and I separated in order to lose them. I ended up making my way here…and I really hoped Al would have been here when I got here.'_

Winry lay on her bed facing upward, looking at the white ceiling while remembering what Ed had told her. In all honesty, she was shocked with what happened. He went through a lot and she felt sorry for him. She felt that she couldn't do anything since she didn't really understand what had happened. She wished that she could help him somehow, seeing that he seemed really lonely those days he's spent there.

She sat up in bed and sighed. She looked at her clock sitting on a drawer to her left of her bed, bright green numbers glowing violently. It had been twenty minutes since she came back from the hill she had been at with Ed.

She swung her legs to the side of her bed and stood up, her bare feet padding softly on the cool wooden floor. She carefully opened door to make sure it didn't creak and quietly walked out. She walked across the hall to the room in which Ed was currently residing in and stood in front of the door, staring blankly at the white-painted surface.

She lifted her left hand to knock on the door but decided against it. If he was asleep, she didn't want to wake him up. Besides, she just wanted to take a peek at him, just to make sure he was alright. She blushed at the thought of him catching her watching him sleep. She shook her head and gathered her courage. She looked at the knob and saw that the door stood a jar, revealing an inch of darkness that lay inside.

She carefully pushed it open wide enough for to slide past without opening it completely. Her bare feet made no sound as she took a few steps inside and pushed the door back quietly. Directly in front of her was the occupied bed, the form rising and falling with each breath it took. She quietly padded towards the bed and looked at the sleeping form. She sat on the edge of the bed, trying carefully not to move it so it wouldn't awaken the sleeping boy.

There was Ed, lying on his right side with his metal arm on the pillow near his face. His honey-colored bangs lay on his forehead, some stray hairs tickling his nose, moving up and down softly with each breath he took.

The coverings of his window were swept aside, letting the bright light of the moon filter in and illuminate everything in its way, giving it a soft glow. Ed's blonde hair reflected the light, making his skin glow like hers had earlier. The calm look of his face made her catch her breath, taking in the innocence of his features, making him look like he had never suffered in his young life.

The stray locks continued to rise and fall with every breath he took, inspiring her to move her hand to his face and sweep his bangs aside softly. She hadn't noticed how close she had gotten while she was watching him, and it made her blush deeply just realizing the fact that she had been watching him, without him having a clue of what was transpiring.

She didn't know how long she sat there; a second, perhaps two, or maybe even five minutes. To her, it felt like almost an eternity. Her finger traced the metal of his arm slightly, letting the cool touch envelope her flesh. A shiver crept up her spine as she continued to slide her finger up and down the auto-mail.

She looked back to Ed's face and saw him stir, making her panic in the process. She snapped her hand back, clutching it with her other one. 'He couldn't have felt that…it was auto-mail; he didn't have feeling in that arm,' she thought while still looking at his face. She let out a sigh of relief. She slowly inched her hand closer to his face, moving some hair that had fallen back on his nose when he stirred.

Ed began to stir again and Winry held her breath. He opened his eyes slowly and began to sit up. He took a hold of the hand that was on his cheek and blinked a few times before turning to face Winry. He looked at her groggily before speaking.

"Winry…what are you doing here?" He asked with a puzzled look,

She stared at him, scared that he would be angry with her for not letting him know she was in his room, let alone touching his face while he slept.

"Well, you see," she began, slowly trying to get her hand away, "I couldn't sleep and well, I thought I'd come to check up on you, you know, to see if you were asleep yet." She finished off lamely, hoping he'd buy it and go back to sleep.

He smiled and closed his eyes, still not letting go of her hand. To her amazement, he seemed to _lean _into her touch. She blushed at the warm contact, contrasting the feel of the metal arm she had felt with her finger just moments before.

He gently pulled her until she was now sitting fully on the bed next to him, her body facing the opposite direction. He lowered her hand along with his but did not let go and simply held it with his left hand. She looked at his hair, which was resting gently on his shoulder, and noticed that he hadn't bothered taking out his braid. She smiled and scooted over until she was sitting directly behind him and tugged at the band that was holding his hair into a braid.

With her fingers, she gently ran them through his hair until the braid came undone. When his hair was out, she put her hands in her lap and laid her cheek on his left shoulder, letting the warm skin warm her cheek.

"Thank you, Winry," he whispered quietly.

"You're welcome," she replied gently, letting a small smile tug at the corner of her pink lips.

"I meant, you know, for hearing me out."

The smile on her lips grew wider.

"Of course," she replied.

She felt him move so she removed her cheek from his shoulder, already missing the warmth of his skin. He turned around slightly to face her and smiled. He reached up to her cheek with his left hand and caressed it with his thumb.

Her heart began to beat faster as she saw him get closer. Her cheeks began to flush a brilliant shade of pink and she closed her eyes when he was eye to eye with her. He noticed that she was blushing and that she had closed her eyes. He smiled.

"Winry…open your eyes," he said in a whisper.

She obeyed and opened her eyes slowly to meet his. At the closeness, she could see the beautiful color of his eyes; something between melted gold and the color of a sunset, flecks of silver here and there. He inched his face painfully slow, making her feel butterflies in her stomach from the anticipation.

She kept her gaze with his, never faltering as he continued to get closer. Finally, he let his lips brush hers with the softest, feather-soft touch, keeping her gaze the whole time. Seeing that she didn't pull away, he dared himself to deepen the kiss, letting his tongue lightly touch her bottom lip, asking for permission to continue.

The intense gaze and the feel of his lips on hers made her melt; she felt like she was floating above the bed, butterflies dancing in her stomach. When she felt his tongue touch her bottom lip, she instinctively opened her mouth to let him in.

When he felt her open her mouth slightly, he gladly accepted the invitation and deepened the kiss. The intense feeling in Winry's stomach was something she had never experienced before. She let herself dwell in the feeling and she closed her eyes, Ed doing the same thing a second after.

They continued the kiss slowly, memorizing the feel of each others lips on their own.

OoOoO

A/N: Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! Finally, they get a little action! LOL I'm sure some of you readers were waiting for something to happen. I thought that perhaps they needed something happen between them to get closer. And voila! Well, please review! It would mean a lot to me. Oh, and if you're interested in telling me know if I need a Beta reader, of if you'd like to be my Beta reader, please let me know and I'll take it into consideration.

Thanks a bunch!

GFA86


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